Arrivederci

We returned as we should, with rolling bags filled with dirty clothes, craving fajitas.  Welcome back to Texas, and arrivederci, Italy!  I always find it odd to have that slightly disoriented feeling waking up in my own bed, but after a big trip, it happens every time.  

It was a 3:30 am departure from our Rome hotel through nearly empty streets (a rare sight to behold) that took me, Cas, Jeff, Reema and one of our fellow travelers, a woman named Donna from Oregon, to the airport.  It was a pretty easy departure, and the first leg of our journey took us to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.  That's where it got interesting.  We walked into the airport, followed a few signs for our gates and were stopped by a wall of people, all waiting to ascend a broken escalator to an even bigger, more tightly packed crowd to go through passport control.  One of the people in line with us explained that there were strikes among the workers in this area, and that's why it took so long.  It felt like several hours, but I suppose it was only one.  The problem is, our connection was rapidly approaching as we stood in the sea of humans.  Cas and I lucked out (kind of) when we found ourselves behind a woman speaking a language we did not recognize who had not bathed recently.  

Not a pleasant olfactory experience, but she sure did part the crowd and push through pretty well.  We were sailing in her wake. Jeff and Reema were behind no such person, so they made it through a little slower than we did.  And we had only to go through a spot where our passports were scanned by a machine, our faces were photographed and a bored looking Frenchman operated a rubber stamp.  Following that, another bored-looking Frenchman asked what we were taking home from our trip.  I said dirty laundry.  He asked if we bought anything.  I said refrigerator magnets and such.  He summoned up the energy to move one hand and wave us on.  

With the clock ticking and our hopes for a croissant and a cup of coffee while briefly in Paris dashed, we hustled to what was avery far away gate.  Jeff and Reema were about 10-15 minutes behind, and when we all assembled, they were seated in a different part of the airplane.  Nevertheless, we got back to the airport, where we were greeted by our rides home.  Cas' mother was chatting with two of Jeff's kids in the outer part of the terminal while we retrieved our checked bags, and we all hugged, then headed to our respective homes.  Success!  All that remained was to stay awake long enough to order Fajitas for delivery, eat them and brush our teeth.  I slept for nine hours, and I can't anymore. Cas is still sleeping- he's catching up, I think.  I have some clothes in the dryer and a few weeks worth of mail to collect from my father today.  

At this point, our photo album should be complete: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PR6jn1ZzhDS6cx8q8

And we're done with our big summer blow-out.  Arrivederci!

Caio for now

Today, we had the last guided tour we had scheduled on this grand tour of Italy.  We went to the catacombs and to Saint Paul’s Basilica.  You know you’ve seen one too many churches and basilicas when you shrug your shoulders at something like Saint Paul’s, but it did bring about a rather interesting discussion about the money it takes to build and maintain a something like a giant, ornate and some would say over-embellished basilica, and other things such a church could do with that same money.  Especially when you consider that it is a religion conceived of by a man who had a lot to say about the odds of rich men getting into heaven and what you ought to do to the least among your brothers and sisters.  I can see both sides of the argument, though, because the spaces we traveled to are historical and should be preserved, and when you go to worship, you want to feel that you are in the presence of something greater than yourself.  Still, the coin-operated lights for one of the most beautiful mosaics seemed over the top.  

Then again, I am a Minnesota Lutheran, so you have to consider that I was raised in a little bit of a different tradition.  Nevertheless, it was gorgeous, and we enjoyed seeing the basilica.  The thing that we saw just before that was the catacombs.  These underground burial spaces were just as creepy and dark as I remember.  The narrow passageways and low ceilings took us from tomb to tomb of rich and poor people alike.  Naturally, since the tombs had all been open and unguarded for many years, most of the ornate elements from the tombs of long-dead wealthy people had been taken away.  It turns out that the poor were relatively undisturbed for a long time, as they didn’t have anything of value in the tomb, nor did they have decorations on its outside.  At this point in time, though, most of the bones have been carried off as creepy souvenirs or fake religious relics.  Maybe that’s why catacombs have fallen out of favor as a final resting place in modern times.  

Cas really enjoyed the catacombs, but even though I found the whole thing fascinating, I was exceptionally happy to be on the right side of the ground when it was all over.  I doubt I could be a guide for a tour like that and dip under the ground several times a day.  

After that was all done, we got back to the hotel and joined with Jeff, Reema, Nicci and Jon for one last extravagant Italian lunch.  They do a small first course and a moderate sized second course here, which is very cool.  This time, I stared with a pasta carbonara, wile he had a shrimp cream risotto.  We shared a steak after that.  Perfection.  Jeff and Reema had a salt-baked sea bass, which was presented as a whole fish table-side, then prepared by the waitress who uncovered it from the salt, pulled the skin back and removed the edible part with a spoon.  She was amazing, and I had a bite of the fish- it was pretty spectacular, too.  All that remains is our farewell drink in the hotel lobby in about an hour, then our super-early morning tomorrow.  I am sure I will write a little more from the airport or when we get back to our house (I miss our house!), but for this trip, I believe I have told the whole story.  Caio for now!  

Here are our photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PR6jn1ZzhDS6cx8q8

Tourist is a verb, now

Yesterday’s walking tour began close to the Spanish Steps, walked down to the Trevi Fountain, through the Pantheon and ended up at the Piazza Navona, having walked us past countless churches and other amazing buildings.  We even grabbed a photo of Jeff and Reema in front of what is Italy’s version of the Supreme Court.  Hey- he’s in law school, we had to photograph him there.  

When we got back to the hotel, it was time for a mid-day nap.  Occasionally, when you are living your life as though tourist is a verb and you are trying to tourist too hard, you need a nap.  After nap time, we headed to the lobby and finished our evaluations of the tour.  The company we used to go all of these places and see all of these things would like our feedback.  I should just send them a link to this blog.  I think it paints a more vivid picture than any multiple choice questionnaire could convey.  Maybe that’s my bias talking.  We had to be there anyhow to meet our group again and head to the cooking class.  We have done cooking classes on other tours.  We tried (and failed) to learn to make moussaka in Greece.  We learned to make Valencian paella in Spain (and stole the recipe!), and now, we have an idea of how to make some great Roman pasta.  We can certainly make the noodles, at least.  They gave us no indication of how the sauce is put together.  Alas, we will have to come back someday.  

When we got back to the hotel and had a drink in the lobby bar with our friends Jon and Nicci, they invited our substitute tour director Giuseppe to join us.  He sat with us and had a Campari spritz, which is a very Italian thing to drink, though I find them a little bitter.  Though we liked Misia a lot, Giuseppe is a very engaging personality.  He is with the folks who extended the tour for three optional activities, all of which we booked and two of them were yesterday.  

Also, while we were in the hotel lobby, Jeff and Reema walked in from their fancy dinner date.  Reema brought some very nice dressy clothes and Jeff cleaned up pretty well to make for a good looking couple and a nice night out.  I hope they had as much fun as we had in the cooking class, because the cooking class was a bunch of fun.  

That leads us to today, and our last optional activity.  We head to St. Paul’s Basilica and the Catacombs.  That’s it for tourist-ing. We have a farewell drink this evening, and the four of us leave the hotel at three in the morning (I know!  It is way too early!) for the airport and a flight to Paris on the way to Dallas.  

It’s breakfast time, then we head to the catacombs.  See you back in Il Stati Uniti.  (Tomorrow!)

As always, we have updates to the photo album here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PR6jn1ZzhDS6cx8q8

The master of underwear

After breakfast, Cas plotted out which city bus we needed to take to get to a building that Jon called the wedding cake.  It does look an awful lot like one.  I forget the name at the moment, but it features the tomb of the unknown soldier from World War I.  It also features a whole lot of steps with a glass elevator at the end of the climb to get you all the way to the top.  You can walk up the steps for free, but the elevator will cost you 12 Euro.  

It was a very cool thing to see, and a pretty good walk.  We did get pretty warm on the way there, and we managed our trip so we got back to the hotel with 15 minutes to spare.  What we forgot was food.  We failed to eat lunch, and we were headed to the Vatican in the middle of the day.  I got out four of my five breakfast bars and handed a pair of them to Nicci and Jon.  It was just in time, and between the snack and a well-placed gelato vendor, we were just fine until dinner time.  

Side note- those breakfast bars came with from Dallas.  They’ve been in a box the whole time, and I had that box in my carry-on when I went through TSA at the airport.  My bag was pulled and hand-searched.  The agent pulled out the box of breakfast bars and took one of those little wipes out to check the box for explosives or drugs or whatever.  She wiped the box, then told me it came back positive, though she never said what it was positive for.  So now, my whole backpack was disassembled and the dangerous box was put through in a bin with all my other stuff, spread out.  Goofiest thing ever- but I got to rapidly reassemble what had been a carefully packed bag- all while shoeless- and take my questionable breakfast bars along with me.  It’s a good thing they came in so handy, or I would have gone through that and dragged them all across Italy for no reason.  Mission accomplished, if you ask me.

But back to yesterday- two city buses, a few blocks of walking and a whole lotta stairs later, we had breakfast bars and a sunscreen reapplication, then headed to our big bus for the trip to Vatican City.  We had a local guide who took us through what was a pretty heavy crowd, walking us past museum exhibits and on into the thing everyone wants to see, the Sistine Chapel.  It was a very full room- I think everyone who had to delay a trip there for the past few years due to covid restrictions all showed up yesterday.  Cas and I had each seen it before, but this time, we went in with a better understanding of some of the art we were looking at.  The panels at the top center of the ceiling depicted a timeline from the book of Genesis- the separation of dark and light, the creation of planets, the making of plants and animals, and of course, the birth of man, which everyone knows all about.  That is actually followed up by the creation of Eve and the Garden of Eden, along with some other pieces of the puzzle.  It’s very interesting.  The final judgement, which covers a whole wall was done much later in Michelangelo’s life, was as grand and strange as I remember, but this time around, I found out that he painted everyone nude, and another artist was brought later in to cover all their private parts with black or white pieces of fabric many years later.  That man was hired by Pope Pius IV, and his name was Daniele da Volterra.  He became known as the master of underwear, which our guide said was unfortunate, as he was actually a good artist in his own right.  The more you know…

We went from there, through more museum exhibits to St. Peter’s Basilica.  It was enormous, grand, and a bit confusing.  There were so many chapels, so many statues, so many mosaics.  All the art that you think is a painting inside that basilica is a actually a tile mosaic- wow!  After the basilica, we waked out, past some very colorfully clad Swiss Guards and off to St. Peter’s Square and the surrounding gift shops, gelato vendors, etc.  As is our practice, we picked up a refrigerator magnet.  When out of the US, we take home a magnet from every country we visit, and since Vatican City is its own country, we had to get one from there.  Makes sense, right?  

After that wrapped up, we headed back to the bus and made our way to the hotel.  We had just a little bit of downtime before the farewell dinner.  The regular tour ends today for some people, while those of us who added the extension have a few more days in Rome.  The restaurant was called De Meo Patacca.  The waiters and the staff dress costumes and there is a quartet of musicians who walk around, playing for the customers.  There are two guys playing stringed guitar-like instruments and two accordion players.  They played while we ate a multi-course dinner, and for extra fun, Mizia ensured that Jeff was the center of attention.  He had a birthday while we were on tour, and at the start of the tour, I let it be known that he and Reema were on their honeymoon (two years delayed by covid).  The musicians came out to sing to Jeff, and he had a cake with a very pyrotechnic candle on top.  

It was a great meal, and our last time to see Mauricio, our amazing bus driver.  The rest of this trip’s transportation will be handled by smaller vehicles and shuttles.  We also said goodbye to Mizia last night, as well.  She is stepping in for another tour director who evidently broke his leg and can’t possibly do all the walking that a tour director needs to do.  We’re getting a new tour director for those of us who booked the extension, and we should meet him in a bit for the walking tour we have scheduled.  We have that and a cooking class today, and tomorrow, we see the famous Catacombs.  Then, we throw all the dirty clothes into a bag and head home.  Andiamo!

Arrivederci, Mizia: 

Here are photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PR6jn1ZzhDS6cx8q8

Absolutely nothing funny happened on the way there

I never watched the movie, nor have I seen the musical, but I kept thinking of just the title A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum yesterday when we walked the distance from the Colosseum  to the Forum in Rome.  

The day started in Sorrento with a breakfast on an outside patio overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.  While I did’t make it to the coastline in my swimsuit, I am happy that Cas and I headed to the water and stuck our feet in when we were on Capri.  Nevertheless, we said arrivederci to the water and the beautiful views that it brings, hopped in our bus and headed to Rome.  We stopped along the way for a little food and a bathroom break, because when we got there, we had a walking tour of the Colosseum and the Forum.  There are certain things that give you perspective in this world and make you think of your very small place in history.  When you stand in the Colosseum and look at something that has stood for nearly two thousand years, you get some perspective.  

I love the safety of a group when traveling to places like these.  There are people everywhere, there is lots to take in, and it’s really, really easy to lose your way.  The problem with a group, though, is we are not always on the same page.  It was pretty hot out, and some of our peers were ready for some air conditioning and relaxation about five minutes into the Colosseum tour. While it lasted a bit longer than that, and while Cas and I could have physically carried on, my attention span is kind of shot, and I suspect his is getting close.  We have taken in so much information over the past two weeks that my brain may be rapidly approaching full.  It’s going to take a really charismatic tour guide to break through my wall of overload, and yesterday, John Paolo was just okay.

We all got to our Rome hotel at around 4:30 and checked in.  The first order of business for me was to wash off my feet and ankles.  It’s a simple thing, but it really helps me feel like a human again.  I wear very good sandals when walking around in the summer, and Rome isn’t exactly sterile.  Soap is my best friend when we get back to a shower or a tub.  We spent a little time cleaning up and a just little time just laying flat on our backs and enjoying what has been the best mattress on the trip so far.  (That’s been kind of hit-or-miss, and the bathrooms have been pretty interesting, as well.)  

Cas and I didn’t rest long, though.  Our tour director lives in Rome and said she would be in the lobby at a table answering questions and helping to arrange dinner plans at 5:30, so we marched down to talk with Mizia and ask her where we could go with Jeff and Reema as well as our new friends Nicci and Jon that would be close too the hotel.  Jeff took a not-so-funny step on the way to the forum, and he wanted to give his ankle a little break from long hikes, and Nicci had some swelling in her feet that needed to subside a little.  Hey- it’s a lot of walking and a pretty good amount of heat.  

Mizia did not let us down.  She picked out a place a few blocks from the hotel (right across the street from a section of the aincent aqueduct, of course) that gave me and Cas a full meal, a liter of wine, a dessert each and a shot of Limoncello to finish it off for something silly like 65 Euros.  With the current exchange rate being nearly one-to-one, it is hard to fathom a meal like that for as low as 65 dollars per person in the US.  Italians do food very well, and it doesn’t cost very much at all.  

Today, we’re getting a slow start.  There is nothing official on our radar until our trip to the Vatican at 12:45, and we slept in for the first time in weeks.  I suspect they deliberately design that into the tour so people have a chance to breathe and see just one or two more amazing things before heading home.  Cas and I each packed one pair of long pants, specifically for this Vatican visit.  We had several churches we saw on the way that had a “no shorts” policy, but they didn’t seem to mind men in longer shorts, and they were cool with me tying a scarf around my waist to enter.  This time, there’s no room for error.  You have to cover your knees and men are absolutely forbidden from wearing hats.  Hey- it must be a Catholic thing.  Also, Vatican City is technically another country, so we have to follow their laws and rules.  Even if we’re Protestants.  

I just hope nothing too funny happens on the way there.

Enjoy some photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PR6jn1ZzhDS6cx8q8

Capri Sun

Work with kids long enough, and the first thing you think of when you hear the word Capri is a sugary juice drink in a metallic pouch with a plastic straw that you jab into the pouch.  Not a soul we saw on the island of Capri was drinking a Capri Sun, though.  You’d think there would at least be one vendor selling them for novelty’s sake.  

Capri was, apparently, the domain of goats long, long ago.  Now, it appears to be an island of three things- tourists, people who need you to see how pretty they are and stray cats.  In fact, we’ve seen a few stray cats in Sorrento, one in Pompeii and a couple in Capri.  Honestly, I would have found the goats more interesting. We got an early start today and headed to the ferry boat that took us to Capri from Sorrento.  Off the ferry, we met up with our local guide, Francesca.  She was very good, and the first place she took us was a private boat with a captain named Vincenzo.  He kicked off his flip-flops and with bare feet took us all around the rocky coastline, showing us the different grottoes and features on the island.  It was gorgeous.  

The day honestly could have ended there, and we would have been happy, but Francesca took us up on a funicular This was our second funicular on this trip and our third ever, so we’re getting to be pretty used to these things.  Up we went, and on to the walking tour.  Fun fact, there is no shade up top- no trees to speak of are growing, so it’s a lot of Capri Sun.  We saw some great views, then we were kind of herded to a restaurant for lunch.  Our local guide assured us the food was good and the prices were reasonable, and most important all, that they had room for our whole group.  It was pretty mediocre, if I’m being honest.  Next time a local guide is that adamant about a restaurant for a whole group, I think we’ll make our own way.  

After the restaurant, we were given time to shop.  Cas and I aren’t much for shopping especially when directed to do so, so we wandered around in the afternoon sun, looking for spaces with less people in them.  When we found what I assume is some resident’s alley, we didn’t see any other humans for a whole five minutes.  It was kind of amazing.  We really could have cut an hour out of the time we were up there and been just as happy.  When it was time to take the funicular back down, we were packed in a crowded, hot space, waiting to board, when a guide from a different tour got everyone’s attention and said that a song was written to inspire people to use funicular car.  He asked everyone to clap, then he sang Funiculi Funicula quite beautifully.  I recorded a little audio, and I will put it here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mpVi_AxTid_UjRLyJWMGukZEnesau_VZ/view?usp=drivesdk

When we got back on the ferry, then back on the shuttle and finally, back to the hotel, we all kind of went our separate ways to cool off and catch a quick nap.  Jeff and Reema organized a shuttle, and Cas and I went with them to the main square of Sorrento for dinner.  We wanted to walk around in the city proper, and we just hadn’t done that yet.  We had a lovely meal at a very relaxed pace, did a little wandering and headed back to the shuttle meetup point.

Tomorrow, we have a very, very early departure for Rome.  We have to get out of Sorrento before the morning rush hour makes it nearly impossible to travel the roads, and when we get to town, we have a nearly immediate walking tour that includes the Colosseum.  Rome is our last stop.  When we get all done there, we head back home and get back to our lives.  For now, we’re zipping up our luggage and getting ready for one last spot.  Good night.  

And here, again, are our photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PR6jn1ZzhDS6cx8q8

When life hands you lemons

There was a pretty average pop song almost ten years ago called Pompeii.  The chorus went, “The walls kept tumbling down in the city that we love.”  I had some music on in my classroom one day at lunch or something, and some of my students were really enjoying that particular song.  The popularity of the song coincided with the release of a movie by the same name.

One of the students who was in my classroom at the time was a boy named Mike.  Evidently, Mike thought the song had been the sole inspiration for that film.  When he asked me if I was aware that there would soon be a movie by the same name, he seemed surprised that I guessed the topic.  He said, “Did you know they are making a movie about this song?”  I couldn’t help myself- I had to say, “Let me guess- is there a volcano?”  I swear, Mike said, “Oh, have you seen it?”

I didn’t have the heart to say, “lucky guess.”  That’s the thing about being a teacher- you can make a few jokes, but you have to stop short of being a complete jerk.  

Yesterday morning, we got up, had a very quick breakfast and hopped in our bus.  We have had the same bus driver the whole time on this trip, and he has been amazing.  His name is Mauricio.  He can unflinchingly handle the elements of Italian traffic that I find terrifying, and as we get closer to Rome, I am grateful that our tour company has employed him.  There are apparently some very strict rules regulating those in his profession, as well.  Evidently, tour buses have an electronic record of the speeds they travel, and if he were to be puled over in traffic, the police could check his records to see if he had been speeding all day.  Additionally, drivers are strictly regulated as to the number of hours they can work per day.  The long haul from Assisi to Pompeii apparently pushed Mauricio over the line, so we had a substitute driver come in and take us up the many, many twisty switchbacks to our hotel.  He was good, but I really have developed a lot of fondness and trust for Mauricio.  No worries, we get him back today.  

When we got to Pompeii, we had a two hour walking tour scheduled.  It was very interesting, and a lot more detailed than my previous understanding of the city.  We saw how the roads were organized, what shops looked like, how both the rich and the poor lived, and some of the decorations that amazingly survived the blast.  

The famous plaster casts that everyone really remembers are in a museum.  The people who had a hand in excavating Pompeii realized that the falling ash landed on people and animals, either burning or suffocating them to death.  One of the people years later who was digging out the city saw that those cavities once contained a person who had since decayed, leaving a gap in the volcanic ash.  This guy injected plaster into the gaps, waited for it to dry, then dug out the shape of the people who had once been there.  Kind of a remarkable idea, if you ask me, and it was jarring to see plaster shapes of people trying to make it through what I am certain is a scary death.  

After our two hours walking around in Pompeii, we had our substitute bus driver come to take us up the mountain.  I know that generations of American mothers have worried over generations of American kids who want a motorcycle or a scooter, but the ones who should actually worry are the Italian moms.  Wow.  There were scooters who squeezed between buses on small roads.  There were scooters that snuck over to the wrong side of the road to creep past cars, only returning to the proper side seconds before pending doom.  Italian scooter riders are a whole other kind of crazy.  I loved riding my motorcycle, but put me on one here- hey, I have too much to live for.  

When we got to the hotel, we had a very nice dinner with a lemon cake, and we all just stood up afterwards and walked outside to watch the gorgeous sunset.  I am sure this is old hat to those who live here, but we don’t watch the sun set over the Mediterranean very often.  When something like that is in front of you, you take the opportunity.  

Today, we have a trip to Capri.  It should be amazing.  It blows my mind that this is a Monday, and people here are headed off to work, but that is most certainly true.  

For us, it’s Capri followed by whatever hijinks we get up to in Sorrento, then it’s off to Rome.  A week from today, I have a work-related Zoom meeting and I have to be an adult again, but right now, I am sitting on a balcony with the sun coming up in Sorrento, wondering if I got a good recipe for Limoncello from the hotel bartender last night.  I want to give it a try when we get home, so I have something new to make when life hands me lemons.  

Here are our many photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PR6jn1ZzhDS6cx8q8

Italian Suit

Today started way too early.  If you go to sleep after trying to make sure no wine goes to waste, any next day would start too early.  Nevertheless, Cas and I met up with our folks at the breakfast table so we could head to Perugia.  A fair number of people on our tour took the day off of the optional adventure and hung buy the pool or got a massage.  The thing is, I wanted to see Perugia, and it was pre-paid.  I suspect lots of people on our excursion today had that same conversation.  

Perugia is a town that was built and rebuilt.  The Medieval castle was used as a foundational structure for the Renaissance structure that rested on top of it, which was all plopped down in a town that was originally Etruscan.  All in all, pretty great.  It’s kind of weird to compute that when you are walking along a stone passageway- this pathway has seen feet for thousands of years and will see thousands more.  I am a blip on the radar.  Makes you feel a little small.  

One of the things we had to do with our free time after the official tour stopped was purchase a swimsuit for Cas.  His suit- the one he loves in a really pretty color of blue- is at home.  Mine made it here, but alas, we always forget something.  Nevertheless, he went to a Perugian swimwear shop today and purchased a new suit.  We walked out with a relatively small bag with a pretty standard pair of swim trunks, and I commended him on his wise purchase of an actual Italian suit.  I doubt I will stop making that joke anytime soon.  

After the touring and the shopping trip for the Italian suit, we had a nice lunch.  Every time we have a large group dinner, it feels like the restaurants poke us into a small, hot room.  I suspect that’s the only place most of them have that would accommodate that many people, but still it’s a lot of people and not a lot of moving air or elbow room.  

Still, a great afternoon, followed by the debut of Cas in his new Italian suit.  (See, I am going to make that joke forever!)  We went to the hotel pool and had a relaxing time. After a while in the sun and the water, we all headed back to our respective rooms to dry off.  One of the people on our tour recommended a place to have dinner that was not too far down the road on foot.  We walked there along what turned out to be a slightly perilous path, but we were rewarded with a really great dinner.  We had wine and pizza, followed by a shot of Limoncello. It was just about perfect.  That’s when Cas noticed the sunset.  We have spent the better part of the past hour watching the sun go down.  

Tomorrow, we move on to Sorrento by way of Pompeii.  It is a pretty long travel day with a good amount of bus time.  We should get a few chapters read in our books and a couple of crossword puzzles completed.  We have seven more days left until we’re home, and I am afraid it won’t be enough.  Better enjoy it all while we’re here.  

In the meantime, enjoy our photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PR6jn1ZzhDS6cx8q8

The patron saint of the tourist

Saints are plentiful if you are a Catholic.  I was raised Protestant, so I am always surprised when I discover the sheer number of things that have a patron saint.  There’s a patron saint of comedians, one for gamblers- there is a patron saint for anesthesiologists.  Catholics can be very specific when they are talking saints.  We are in Assisi, home of Saint Francis.  We arrived here on one of our more scenic drives and had a walking tour of the town, and more specifically, the church.  Saint Francis was really into modesty, poverty, and living a not-so-flashy life.  He wrote a will of sorts, according to our guide, asking that anything built in his honor would be modest and austere.  Having walked though the basilica that bears his name, I can tell you that those who came after him failed spectacularly at honoring his wishes.  It’s a properly fancy church with stained glass, marble and many, many frescoes.  Oops.  

There are several saints who are specifically assigned to travelers, but none specifically assigned to tourists.  Misia, our tour director, said she would write to the Pope and tell him what hotel and which room each of us was occupying so we could be canonized, should one of us become the patron saint of tourists.  I don’t think Cas and I are eligible.  He’s a Protestant, too.  It’s okay- I doubt either of us craves the spotlight that would put on us- maybe someone else can be the saint of the tourists.  

When we left the basilica, we took off for our beautiful hotel, nestled in the hills of the Umbria region.  Our hotel is an agroturismo hotel.  It’s a new piece of vocabulary for me, but it’s pretty much a farm-to-table place.  They grow the vegetables they serve and such, so when I say we had dinner at the hotel, it wasn’t because we lacked creativity.  Sure, it was one of our included dinners on our trip, but it was also really, really good.  One of our fellow tourists was concerned when the waiter came around to collect the plates, and she guarded her chicken admirably.  Hey, it was that good.  Our table also became the spot where the other tables deposited their wine on the way out.  Each group (and there were three or four large tables) had a few bottles of wine.  What they didn’t finish, they all seemed to drop off with us- meaning we had a rather impressive collection of half-full bottles by the time the dining room was empty.  From there, we all managed to top off a glass and head to one of the terraces.  Our hotel is called La Terrazza, so there are a few.  If you get a chance, sit on a terrace in Assisi and have a glass of wine- totally worth it.  

Today, we have a trip to Perugia, and that gets rolling in just over an hour, so I’m off to get ready.  

For now, enjoy a photo of what things look like when you’re walking through Assisi.  These folks see castles and basilicas every day- what a town to live in- 

Here are the rest of our photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PR6jn1ZzhDS6cx8q8

Follow the way

So, yesterday, we went to Siena and San Gimignano. I was having sincere difficulties pronouncing San Gimignano. I listened to Cas say it a few times, and decided it was best if I considered the word as a pairing of people named Jim and Yano. San Jim and Yano. Follow me for more life hacks.

We got up really early yesterday- our tour director actually had the hotel start breakfast service 15 minutes before the usual time so we could get the early start. It was the smartest thing. Literally everything we did had us walking out in the shade as other, larger groups of people arrived in nearly direct sunlight. Misia is a genius. Or maybe, she just doesn’t want us to bake under the famous Tuscan sun.

We did a walking tour of Siena with a local guide. Her name was Donatella. She was dressed in white with perfectly matched accessories that were somehow orange, which, of course, went with the hair scarf she had tied around her head. Misia uses a telescoping stick with a scarf tied to the top, as many tour guides do, to give tour-goers an elevated focal point to follow in a crowd. It feels a little silly to do it that way, but it really works. Donatella refused it, saying she talks so much with her hands that she may inadvertently assault someone.

The thing about local guides is that they’re experts in the one place or thing you’re seeing. We had a guide just for the academy who showed us David. We had a guide who walked us through Florence. We’ve had guides on different trips before, and they all seem to have a shorthand way to tell us to get a move on. In Spain, we were particularly fond of the guide that kept saying, “come, come!” On this trip, we had one who told us to “follow the way,” but it seems that the most commonly repeated tour guide giddy-up is “this way.” It doesn’t sound that interesting, but they don’t exactly all talk unaccented American English. In fact, they almost all seem to say it like deece way. It’s become a thing Cas and I say around the house, and Italy is reinforcing it.

The Siena tour was fabulous, and it wrapped as the day was getting hotter. New bus loads of tourists were arriving, and we were strolling out. Next stop, San Jim and Yano. I mean San Gimignano. There, we had a very nice lunch followed by a trip to the place reported to have the best Gelato in all of Italy. I have never been a fanatic about pistachio, but everyone says it’s legendary there, and it simplified a frantic selection process to just get the most legendary thing in the best ice cream shop. No regrets.

The last stop on our day-long adventure was a vineyard. We had a wine tasting at a beautiful vineyard in the Tuscan countryside. If you ever have the opportunity to do that, oh my gosh, do it. They served us six different kinds of wine, which, of course, were accompanied by an order form and a pen, in case you get any big ideas. We didn’t order anything, but we sure did have a great time. The bus ride back to town was a little livelier- as you might imagine, and after that, we set out with Jeff and Reema and our new friends Nicci and Jon for dinner. We had a restaurant all picked out, and when we got there, they stuck us in a corner by the bathroom where the air flow never went. The food was amazing, but just as we were getting into it, the waiters started pushing together many small tables into one large one. Uh-oh. If I had to guess, it looked like a table for about 20 people, and for some reason, all but two of them were men. I’m pretty sure someone there was smoking indoors, and the heat in the back of the room didn’t improve. The men in our group valiantly offered to pay the check while the ladies went to the sidewalk for fresh air. It felt like a pretty long time, but eventually, all three of our dinner dates emerged.



That was it for the evening, too. Lots to see and do yesterday- many stops along the road, but it all works out if you follow the way.

Here are our photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PR6jn1ZzhDS6cx8q8

David

Yesterday morning, we started off from the hotel, all in a long column of tourists, toward the Duomo.  We were headed to meet up with a local guide, Leticia, who has lived in Florence her whole life.  She said she had a little extra time on her hands during the pandemic (as I suspect most people in the tourism industry did), and she traced her family records back for some insane number of generations.  She comes from a long line of Florentine people.  Apparently, this is done through baptism records.  She took us through town, to the Ponte Vecchio, which is Italian for Old Bridge.  It just sounds so much more interesting and romantic to say Ponte Vecchio.  Everything sounds more interesting in Italian.  I work as a school librarian.  In Italian, a librarian is a bibliotecaria.  See?  Sounds better.  

From the old bridge, we wandered, learning all about the impressive Italians entombed in the Basilica of Santa Croce and the marvel of architecture that is the massive terra cotta dome of the Duomo itself.  When that tour ended, Cas and I wandered until we found the perfect spot to eat lunch.  We were seated right next to the air conditioner, but facing the street in a very good restaurant.  They served what I suspect is Italy’s favorite drink, the Aperol Spritz.  We must have had a bad one in Como, because they're pretty good.  We’re gonna have to make those at home.  I had a salad, which doesn’t sound particularly Italian, but it was a Caesar salad, if that helps.  Honestly, I wanted a bowl of lettuce after so much amazing pasta.  From there, we rejoined our tour group and marched to the Academia.  I am sure the Italian tour guides love to pretend that anyone comes to the Academia to see all the art and other stuff, but honestly, we’re all there for David.  Of course.  They display it at the middle of everything, as they should, but let’s not fool ourselves that anything else in the building is as interesting.  

I had seen David once before, a few decades ago, but I forget how impressive things are sometimes.  My grandmother saw him and wrote a poem about the detail.  She had specifically been interested in the level of detail around the cuticles of the fingernails.  I went to see him in my twenties, and I managed to be impressed (if my decades-old travel journal is to be believed) by the detail in the toes.  Funny what you focus on.  This time, the tour guide we had wanted us to look at the two eyes independently.  It was a good tip, too.  His right eye almost looked afraid, while his left eye looked to be plotting and scheming.  What am amazing thing to be able to pull out of a block of marble.  

After David, Jeff and Reema went off to the Uffizi.  They had purchased tickets in advance, and those tickets were time-stamped.  Cas and I had no such tickets, and I was feeling a little museumed-out.  The Basilica, the Academy- sometimes, you need to hit refresh.  Leave it to Cas to find the perfect thing.  There was an interactive DaVinci museum near the Duomo.  It was a spot where people (mostly families with kids) can touch and play with representations of Leonardo’s inventions.  I was feeling pretty tired, but it was worth the visit.  

From there, we stopped at a sidewalk cafe near the Duomo and had a drink.  That sounds so cool, I want to say it again.  We stopped at a sidewalk cafe near the Duomo and had a drink.  See?  Sounds awesome.  After that, we had a pizza dinner while listening to a street performer play Spanish style guitar just a few feet away from the aforementioned Duomo.  It was such a full day that we were happy to get back to the hotel early and decompress.  We have an early start today as we head off to San Gimigano and Siena.  It was listed as a tour of Tuscan hill towns.  Sounds fun- I will tell you about it when we get back…  Here we go! 

Pumpkin hat noodles

We were up on time and having a casual morning- getting ready at a comfortable pace. When Cas emerged from the bathroom moving at a totally different rate of speed, I looked at my phone, and frankly, I said a word I won't write here. We had 12 minutes to get our luggage out the front door of our historic hotel room.

Let me pause here and say that porter service is amazing. We put tags on our bags- in this case, green ones- that say our names, then someone else scoops them up, takes them to whatever mode of transport we are using, and stows them for us. Kind of makes me wish we packed more, just to get maximum bang for our buck, but nevertheless, if you have access to porter service, use it.

Back to the important stuff, though. We got our bags out the door in time for the porter service to do its job, then we were off to the hotel breakfast. As we have come to expect, it was a very good breakfast. From there, we were free for just enough time to head to the beach and have another look around before hopping on a water taxi and meeting up with our bus driver to head out of Venice.

The next stop on our adventure was Ferrara. Misia is our tour director, and she swears Ferrara is where the best food in Italy exists. I have no reason to doubt the veracity of her claims. We were specifically told to get our hands on a pasta that is shaped kind of like a hat, and filled with creamy pumpkin. Sounds strange, but if you’re ever in Ferrara, don’t miss it. Wow. Cappallacci- I think that’s what it’s called. Nevertheless, its new name is pumpkin hat noodles.

After lunch, we walked around town. I wanted to go back through the castle that had, in more modern times, become a museum. This particular museum is open from Wednesdays to Mondays, meaning it was only closed on Tuesdays. Guess which day of the week I was reading that sign. Actually, though, it turned out for the best. I had no interest in walking around in an exhibit hall. I really wanted to check out the drawbridges and the moat. I mean, how often do I stand on a drawbridge and look at a moat? I think Cas and I have to have a few more discussions about home redesign before we determine if a moat is a thing we can put in back in Dallas. I think any homeowners association would have a few words to say to the homeowners who attempt to install a moat.



Following that, it was back to the bus. I need to stop here and mention the Autostrada. We keep stopping at them. The Autostrada is one part Bucee’s, one part high end coffee shop and one part really good deli/diner. They are located along the highway- apparently with locations at both sides- and they are a blessing. Whole tour buses unload, everyone streams out to the bathrooms and we all grab a bottle of water or a snack before hopping back on the bus. And we’re never the only busload in the place. Last time, I got a very well made cappuccino in a proper cup- with a saucer and a spoon and everything. I mean it when I say it’s a very fancy gas station.

From that Autostrada stop, we were on to Florence. We arrived, pointing at things out the window, and made our way to the hotel. It was time to check in and give everyone about two hours to dinner. Cas and I spent the two hours walking around, then cooling down a little. Jeff and Reema spent the two hours “chillin for a bit,” which is probably just about right, given the flurry of activity over the past few days. Nevertheless, we all made it to the group dinner. There were about 30 people in one room of a restaurant that had several different spaces. Some walls were brick and some were plaster, and the echo of that many people chatting over dinner was pretty serious. Somehow, the restaurant only put one waiter in that space, as well. The poor guy was all hustle, but nobody could really keep up with that.

From there, Cas and I joined with Jeff and Reema, and another couple, Nicci and John to find a pub. There was a little confusion when Reema kept seeing things that had a sign out front that simply said “bar.” From what we can gather, a bar here could be any countertop that serves stuff or provides a service. They may be literally describing the furniture.

Just a little more wandering, and we found an Irish pub. They handed us drink menus, and I have to pause again to tell you the funny thing to me, a kid who was raised mostly in Texas: We were at an Irish pub in Florence, and there, on the menu was a Margarita. They listed the recipe as tequila, Cointreau and lemon juice. Ooh- so close. It’s probably tasty, but it definitely isn’t a margarita. Just sayin.

But, that’s where we wrapped up for the evening. Most of us, I suspect, went back to wash out a few shirts in the hotel sink and hit the hay.

Today, we have an appointment with the David. We’ll check back in later!

Here are our photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PR6jn1ZzhDS6cx8q8

Volare!

First of all, my fancy watch says I have walked over 15,000 steps today.  That is a little more than my usual number.  Today is also Jeff’s birthday, and to celebrate, we went to the main part of Venice.  We actually went because that’s what was on the tour schedule for the day, but serendipity is pretty great, too.  

We took a water taxi to the most famous part of the series of islands that make up the city, and from there, we did a bit of a walking tour.  It was extremely humid in the morning, and we were all feeling it when we walked in then out of the Saint Mark’s Cathedral on our tour.  We had a local guide there, and she was very good.  She took us from the cathedral, across the square and through some very narrow streets. By the time we got to the place that was scheduled to show us a glass blowing demonstration, we were very damp and sweaty.  Riddle me this- if you have about 30 people and they are very hot and dehydrated, where do you take them?  I bet you didn’t say a glass blowing demonstration with a super-hot kiln that melts glass.  If you did say that, you’re not a very nice person.  

We watched the demonstration, which was very good, then endured about 75% of the sales pitch that followed before a small fraction of us splintered off to find a bathroom and some air conditioning.  After that, we had a little walking around time (not much) before our trip to the gondolas.  Cas and I must have had the same idea as Jeff and Reema, because without discussing it beforehand, we each booked a couples thing.  So, Jeff and Reema were on a gondola with their gondolier, an accordion player and a singer.  We were on a different gondola with a similar crew.  We had an absolute blast.  The accordion player on our gondola was probably somewhere in his 40s of 50s, but the singer was a bit older.  He had a full head of white hair and a big, walrus mustache.  He stood up to sing, and when he did, there were occasions when he held a note so long that I nearly forgot to breathe myself.  It was really dramatic.  There is a short video clip of him somewhere in the photo album, but you can hear him singing Volare here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e7s6UHuX5Ogxa8CK9LrJsJfsT2EKlJqJ/view?usp=drivesdk

That was a tough act to follow.  From there, we went to a nice lunch of seafood risotto and gnocchi, followed by a bit of wandering that led us to Harry’s Bar.  Jeff is pretty taken with the idea of drinking classic and prohibition era cocktails, and the Negroni was the thing to get at Harry’s Bar.  Evidently, it was the thing that Earnest Hemingway would drink there.  Often.  I had a sidecar- I couldn’t hang with the Negroni.  It made Jeff very happy to have a fancy cocktail at the legendary spot, and when I raised my glass to wish him a happy birthday, the manager rushed off and returned with two pieces of cake.  I thought it was a nice touch, and since the drinks were about 20 bucks each, the free cake seemed correct.  

After Harry’s, it was a brisk walk back to the meeting spot, which was the clock tower in Saint Mark’s Square.  We made our way to a waiter taxi that dropped us very near our hotel, and we collapsed on the bed for a few moments.  I got a little too comfortable lying down, and it didn’t even feel like dinner time yet, so we had to make an active choice to get up and go get some food.  We decided the smart option was a meal in the courtyard of the historic hotel where we’re staying.  The chef special was a sea bass ravioli today, and at our level of exhaustion, it was very easy to say “I’ll have the special and some red wine, and charge it to Room 24.”  We needed that kind of simplicity- working at anything was simply out of the question. 

Tomorrow, we wake up, eat breakfast and head to our next destination: Florence.  

So, Happy Birthday, Jeff, and everyone else, have a great day! 

Here are our photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PR6jn1ZzhDS6cx8q8

Romeo doesn’t rhyme with Montague

Juliet rhymes with Capulet, but Romeo doesn’t rhyme with Montague.  Apparently, the story of Shakespeare’s “star crossed lovers” is ever present in the minds of people from Verona.  Honestly, it was not his best play.  Heck, it wasn’t even his best play set in Verona.  Still, it’s the most famous.  Every kid in every ninth grade class ever has read about (or heard the Cliff notes of) Romeo and Juliet.  Warring families produced two kids who fell in love, despite the Hatfields-versus-McCoys situation happening around town.  Juliet pretends to kill herself with a potion that makes her appear dead, assuming Romeo will come to her, and she will wake to run off with him.  He comes to her, but thinks she’s dead, so he kills himself.  She wakes up to a dead sweetheart, so she kills herself, too.  Everybody dies.  Romantic, no?  

The big draw in Verona is, apparently, Juliet’s balcony, or Giulieta’s balcony, in local spelling.  I saw it in the ‘90s, and since Cas and Jeff had both seen it, we all persuaded Reema (without a whole lot of effort) that it wasn’t that big of a deal.  Instead, we went for pizza and wine.  Following that, we went hat shopping.  I was the only one who was on the lookout for a new hat, as I didn’t feel good about packing my hats from home into luggage.  Still, having Cas, Jeff and Reema on my fashion team let me pick a hat that worked with my face, as well as my style.  

Our time in Verona was capped off (see what I did there,?) with a trip to a gelato shop where we had a treat, found a restroom and refilled our water bottles.  All in all, not bad for about three bucks a cone.  

From there, we boarded the bus and headed to the spot where our bus drove up on to a ferry boat.  Our ferry boat was a lot of fun- as we rode into Venice, the majority of the interesting, historical things were on the left.  We were told that at the outset, so we sat on the left.  Then the boat turned around so the other side became the left.  Dagnabbit.  So we moved around a bit and fount that the best vantage point with the maximum shade was actually in the font of the thing.  There we stood with our hair in the breeze until we got to the city proper.  We boarded out bus while it was on the ferry boat, then we drove to the restaurant where we were scheduled to have dinner.  

The dinner was fantastic, though Cas and I were, for the first time, at a different table than Jeff and Reema.  We ended up getting a little bit of a different perspective, just by sitting with other people.  It was truly a great meal, and it was nice to get to know other folks in our tour group.  

When that ended, we got to our historic hotel.  It’s a protected building by whatever historic society runs these sorts of things, and thats cool, but we sure would have liked an elevator.  Nevertheless, if you can swing a tour with porter service, you should do that.  It’s pretty great when someone else moves your luggage to your room.  

When we got here, Cas and I walked across the street to the Adriatic Sea and dripped our feet in the sand.  Had to be done.  Then, we came back to the hotel and had a few glasses of wine in the courtyard.  Jeff came by, as Reema was already asleep..  It was, overall, a pretty great day.  Tomorrow is Jeff’s birthday, and we plan to celebrate.  We will accomplish this by doing some very Venice things.  Not sure what those are yet, but you’ll find out just after I do.  

In the meantime, here is a photo of Cas, looking lost in thought in front of a statue of Dante Allegheny, who also looks lost in thought.  I thought a lot of this picture in fact.  

Here are the rest of our photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PR6jn1ZzhDS6cx8q8

Como has a Duomo

Como has a Duomo.  And a fun funicular.  This morning, we had options after breakfast.  First off, it was an amazing hotel breakfast.  This one beats out the spots in the US with do-it-yourself Texas-shaped waffle irons, just because their bacon was fried prosciutto.  We met Jeff and Reema for that, and after the coffee was gone, we moved on to the optional guided walk through the town.  Jeff and Reema went for a little more rest and relaxation.  After our guided walk, we made our way to the Funicular car that takes folks from Como to Brunate.  It’s a cable car of sorts that pulls people up and gently lowers them back down at about a 45 degree angle to and from the top of a mountain.  This one takes passengers to Brunate, which is at the top.  While there, we wandered around and saw some pretty spectacular views.  Jeff and Reema went later in the day, and by all reports, they had a great meal up there.  

When Cas and I got back down, we had one drink each and split a sandwich at a very touristy spot in front of the Duomo.  It was an extra large sandwich and a very fancy Aperol Spritz, which is apparently a signature drink around here.  If I’m honest, it was a little bitter for me, but I can see the appeal.  The sandwich was great, though.  

We headed back to the hotel and met Jeff and Reema on the way to the bus that took us to Villa Caroltta on the way to Bellagio.  In Villa Carlotta, we wandered around an amazing home that none of us could ever imagine living in, and we did that for about an hour, until it was time to take a boat to Bellagio. There, we had a little fee time to wander until dinner.  For our meal, we sat down to a pasta dish that was made with whole grain pasta, which is darker than traditional noodles.  It was great, but since yesterday, I have learned that restaurants may bing you pasta before the main course.  I didn’t finish a big plate of noodles, because I was actively trying to save room for that main course, which was beef cooked in a Valpolicella gravy, served with Polenta.  Wow.  

The meal was good, served at a relaxed pace and plenty of fun.  After we wrapped that up, we all piled back on the bus and headed for Como again.  It was a pleasant ride back, and we talked to some of our fellow travelers.  When we got back, everyone parted for their respective rooms, but Cas and I wanted just one more glass of wine.  We invited Jeff and Reema, but they were pretty wiped out.  

Cas and I walked across the street, but not inside the ancient wall.  Outside of that wall was a sidewalk cafe that appeared to be populated by Como residents.  The waitress didn’t speak English, which is a good clue you’re not dealing with a tourist place.  Through Cas’ language skills and a little help, we still managed to score a few glasses of wine.  

Now, we’re in for the night with an early wake-up time and a pretty darn early departure for Venice by way of Verona.  It should be a great day tomorrow, and I suspect we’re ready for it.  

Photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PR6jn1ZzhDS6cx8q8

Day one, done

I left you here in the middle of the afternoon, and the last question mark was: do we stop for a mid-day shower or go explore.  It turns out, the answer was both.  Cas and I rapidly cleaned ourselves up with the quickest of quick showers- just to the point where we felt human again, and took off with Jeff and Reema.  We walked through the tower in Como to the city center, which was behind a very old wall.  In there, we wandered streets that felt like really wide sidewalks, and that’s how we treated them, until I realized that cars were headed our way.  So maybe, we walk off to the side.  Gotcha.  We were all getting pretty hungry- the breakfast of the airplane was juice or coffee and a muffin, which was very good, but our sense of time is so wackadoodle, it’s hard to say what we should eat and when.  I have always heard that you should land in a place and power through until that place’s regular bedtime.  You’ll be tired and a little goofy but you’ll be on track for the rest of your visit.  We’ll, I hope that’s true this time, because it was really hard to help the eyes open.  

On our walk, the four of us went past a church, a dome (duomo), a series of very cool, old buildings and a bunch of shops until we found a place that would sell us a few truly amazing pizzas and a bottle of wine.  Italy moves at its own pace, and it takes a moment of adjustment if you’re used to American style restaurant service.  Honestly, the waiters aren’t in such a frantic rush to see you, but you’re not in such a frantic rush to eat.  You just sit at the table on the sidewalk and watch the world go by- sip your wine and have a lovely afternoon.  It was just what we needed.  

From there, we walked to the lake itself.  It is a gorgeous lake with blue water and boats all lined up, ready to go for a quick trip.  None of us had slept more than an hour at a time on the flight over, so the long walk was just about enough to persuade us a trip back to the hotel was in order.  Jeff and Reema later admitted they grabbed a nap, but Cas and I tried to stay awake.  I admit, I drifted in and out a little, but this room has one chair and one bed.  If it had two chairs, I may have sat instead of laying down, and there may have been some narrow chance I could have stayed fully awake.  Nevertheless, we had to make it down the stairs by nearly 6 so we could get a full run down of our details and our tour from its director.  After that, we headed out to a welcome dinner with the rest of our tour group.  It was a pretty large, unruly bunch, and the restaurant brought out carafes of wine.  As good as it was, it didn’t take much time or much wine for me to start to think I may end up with my face splashed down in a plate of noodles.  

No matter, it was a great day, a great meal and a fun time.  I will now share, without comment, a photo I took of my big bother drinking a mochachino

And that’s all she wrote today.  I am too tired to say anything else, which is good, because I am too tired to go out there and do/see/write about more interesting things.  See you tomorrow for a lake cruise, folks! 

Check out the photo album here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PR6jn1ZzhDS6cx8q8

Travel day

We have arrived.  We’re in our hotel next to Lake Como, having just completed the travel day to get here. I hate to complain about first world problems, so I will just briefly advise others- if you have a choice when flying through New York to another country, try not to use JFK airport as your spot to switch flights.  It’s chaotic, and you have to leave one terminal, enter another and redo the TSA check in.  Not my favorite thing.  Partially, that was a drag, and partially, the one hour flight delay was pretty disappointing.  That delay was because one of the passengers was, in the pilot’s words, “not fit to fly,” and they had to get him and his luggage off the plane, 

Honestly, after all of that, the rest of the flight was fine.  They gave us lasagne and red wine, which seemed appropriate.  We landed in Milan and immediately got on a small-ish transport bus with about a dozen people to head to the hotel in Como.  Without saying a word, the driver reminded me that Italian traffic is purely insane.  He was a master of aggressive traffic circle entry, and at one point, his phone rang, so he reached to get it from a leather pouch just above the visor.  When he reached to put it away again, he used both hands.  I hope he was steering with his knees…. 

Nevertheless, we have a little free time today- time to either explore or take a shower- we still haven’t decided- then we have a nice pasta dinner with our tour group.  

Whew- we made it!  

Counting down

This week, as a school employee in a larger-than-average District, I have plenty of opportunities to learn a new thing, participate in some professional development and get ahead of the game to plan for next year.  I think that would be a good use of my time, too, but I just don’t see it happening.  I am way too distracted.  Cas and I are, instead, counting.  We are counting the days until our trip, counting the number of clean shirts we need to pack, counting the tasks we need to accomplish before we are sitting at DFW airport, waiting to get on the plane.  

Cas and I are excited, and this time, we are traveling with another couple. No worries, though, I have known one of them since high school, and I have known the other since the day I was born.  Seriously.  My big brother and his wife were married just before covid came in and snatched up their honeymoon, and Reema has always wanted to go to Italy.  When we mentioned our wish to travel to Italy this summer, we all decided to book the exact same thing.  It should be a great trip with some excellent company- hey, I’m counting on it.  

Homeward Bound

It’s a wrap.  We are at the San Francisco International Airport, waiting to board out flight back to Dallas. We rode the cable car to the BART train station and hopped off here.  Now, it’s back to flat Dallas and working for a living, but never fear, there is more travel in our not-too-distant future.  Until June, though, we’re out of the travel blogging game.  We’ll check back in when our summer trip to Italy commences. 

Today, here’s what we saw behind us on our last cable car ride out of town.

And here’s one last link to the photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/pvpQGq1HUr8hBmKa7

The wine bus we’ve been practicing for!

There is a company called Texas Winos.  They take folks on a day-long bus trip to three different wineries around the part of Texas you’re in, along with a stop for lunch on the way.  We’ve done the Winos tour from Dallas more than a few times, and we even did one out of Austin through Fredericksburg once.  Yesterday, we went to real live California wine country, and by golly, it’s like we had been rehearsing all along.  We stopped at one vineyard that was in the process of changing owners and names, so the glassware was emblazoned with a different logo than the wine bottles.  No matter- it was all delicious, and the changeover was probably what prompted them to sell us some of their previous owners’ wines for so few dollars.  We had a bottle to enjoy on the bus, just like we practiced in Texas.  

From there, we headed to lunch in Sonoma.  One of our fellow bus-riders commented that it looked a lot like the town square from Back to the Future, so Cas and I started to scan the place for DeLoreans.  No dice.  But there was an actual clock tower, so we suspected Doc Brown was still tinkering on his time machine, waiting for a stormy day.  The lunch was fantastic- and naturally, there were wine pairings with each course.  After that, there were two more wineries to visit, then back to the general area of Fisherman’s Wharf.  We wrapped it all up with a seafood dinner and a walk back to the hotel.  Today, we stuff dirty clothes into luggage and head back to Dallas, but maybe- just maybe- we can take one more ride on the cable car.  

Here are photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/pvpQGq1HUr8hBmKa7

I get it, Lorax- I get it…

We are leaving Muir Woods on a bus right now. Wow- I mean, what a pretty, pretty place. If you ever need a dose of humility- like you’re too big for your britches, stand at the base of an 800-year-old redwood tree. It gives you perspective. You, in relation to the planet on which you dwell, are small. 

When looking for a trip out to enjoy some wine, Cas found the one that stops at Muir Woods. 

I hesitate to use the word majestic- it almost always feels hyperbolic- but these trees were majestic. 

We’re headed to a vineyard now, and a few more after that- and we’ve pre-ordered lunch along the way, but I just had to stop for a second and agree with Dr. Seuss’ famed Lorax, who spoke for the trees. I get it, Lorax. I really do. 

Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/pvpQGq1HUr8hBmKa7

What makes this town special

Let’s see, we left off at the Exploratorium.  And we had to actually force ourselves to set a deadline- if we didn’t agree to leave by a certain time, we would have played all day.  Normally, that is completely fine- even admirable- but we needed to make our way to a few more things before the day was over.  So, we left at three.  It would have been a little on the nose if we left at 3:14, but I don’t think that’s when we walked out the door.  From there, we walked along the water for a moment until we found a pair of Lime scooters.  We had used them before in a previous trip.  We scooted all around Austin last spring, and yesterday seemed like a perfect day for us to ride again.  We took them all the way back to Fisherman’s Wharf, where we intended to make use of our second day on the hop-on-hop-off bus.  That took us to the corner of Haight and Ashbury Streets.  We thought about all the very cool, very San Francisco things we could see, and that one seemed pretty unique.  Lots of places have shopping and financial districts.  We have already visited the wharf.  We’ve been to Alcatraz and near/under/across the Golden Gate Bridge.  No other place we know of has a spot like Haight Ashbury.  

Honestly, it was cool, but we may have built it up in our minds a little.  We popped into a bar and did a little people watching, but other than some very unique decor, it was a little uninspiring.  No matter, Cas sorted out the city bus schedule, and we were off.  For three dollars a piece, we took a bus, transferred to another one and easily made it to Chinatown.  Fun facts abound.  San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest Chinatown in the US.  They are proud of that, though they tend to gloss over how and why the Chinese first came out this way.  We walked around, saw some very cool lanterns and temples and such, and made it to a fabulous restaurant called The Empress for dinner.  The bartender was more of a craftsman- carefully constructing pretty garnishes and routinely setting things on fire.  It was a great way to have our one meal in Chinatown.  We had wasabi prawns, salmon and some seafood noodles.  Oh my gosh- it was all spectacular.  And for extra fun, I managed to eat noodles with chopsticks.  First time for everything, right?  

When we left Chinatown, it was a quick walk to the cable car line.  We learned that the cable cars are actually using an underground cable to move, and the stops and starts are done by a grip man and a brake man.  Although women are welcome to apply for these jobs, very few female applicants possess the upper body strength to do them.  Only a few grip women have done it.  We hopped on near Chinatown and took it to our desired stop, but it was late, and by the time we hopped off, the grip man seemed disinterested in collecting our fare.  It’s all digital, anyhow, and I think the money guy had left for the evening at a previous stop.  No matter, though- we will probably use that fare amount to get to the airport tomorrow.  (Sheesh- tomorrow!)

Today, we hop on a bus that promises to take us to vineyards and redwoods.  Oh, and it’s the Ides of March, so we will, of course, be on the lookout…. 

Meantime, here are photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/pvpQGq1HUr8hBmKa7

Give me pi of that pie

It occurs to me that, if someone asks how much pie you want from a whole pie, you could ask for pi percent.  I could go for 3.14 percent of a pie.  Sounds like a good amount to enjoy. 

Today, we went to the Expolratorium.  Today was also Pi Day.  It’s a math thing, and I married the math-iest guy of them all.  So today, in month 3, day 14 of the year at 1:59 pm, the parade began.  Every member of the parade at the Exploratorium had a digit of Pi to carry, starting with the 3.14159 and carrying on a very long time.  The idea to celebrate Pi day was apparently born at the San Francisco Exploratorium in 1988, when an employee named Larry Shaw had the great idea.  March 14, through some great coincidence, is apparently also Albert Einstein’s birthday.  It’s like he knew.  Larry Shaw is gone, now, but his wife came to celebrate Pi Day in his favorite shirt with a pie pattern in its fabric.  If a parade so silly could have a grand marshal, she was it.  

We listened to a lecture on the history of Pi’s discovery and heard a few artists give their interpretation of Pi.  We saw a quilt where each color represented a specific digit, and the squares were arranged in a spiral out from the center to display all the digits of Pi that would fit on a quilt.  It was all pretty nerdy and cool.  I am certain that I wouldn’t have set foot in the Exploratorium if I were in town with any other person, but I was there with Cas, and it’s a lot like when we went to the Museum of Math together.  I really do think that has to be what it’s like to go to a fabric store with Vera Wang or something.  

I do want to write about the rest of the day we just had, and I am sure I will do that in the morning, but right now, it’s kind of late.  We’ll dive into Haight Ashbury and Chinatown along with our varied and strange modes of transportation in the morning. In the meantime, enjoy Cas in his element. 

Anyhow, like I said, I will write the rest of the day when I wake up.  It’s been a long one, and honestly, it’s time for bed.  Here are some great photos to lull yourself to seep: https://photos.app.goo.gl/pvpQGq1HUr8hBmKa7

A study in contrast

Alcatraz still houses the prison cells that most people imagine when they think of the island.  In addition to that, there are still remnants of the 19-month takeover by Native Americans in 1969-70, done in protest to civil rights violations by the US government against native people.  There’s a lot of crumbling remnants and souvenirs of struggle and misery everyplace you look on Alcatraz.  

The thing that you don’t expect is how many flowers and birds you’ll see.  The island is actually managed by the national park service and you are greeted upon arrival by a park ranger who reminds you not to touch any of the natural things or take anything with you. There are the eerie remnants of its former life tucked into the signs of nature retaking the space.  It’s actually pretty cool.  

Cas and I did a tour with a pre-recorded audio file narrated by former wardens and inmates.  It was very well done, in fact.  The tour took longer than we suspected it would, but we couldn’t just switch it off and walk away- it was really interesting.  

The cells were really small, and the doors to get in were not too far above my head.  I come in at at just under 5’5”, so I can assure you these are not tall doors.  There were a few we could walk into, and we were invited to enter the solitary confinement cells, as well.  I have to say, a field trip there as children may have been a proper deterrent to the adults who wound up spending their best years inside those walls.  

After that journey, we found the entrance point for the hop-on-hop-off bus company.  They had promised that, with the tour we booked, we would be able to do a walking tour of Chinatown at 1pm, and we were trying to hustle to get there.  So, it turns out they don’t do the walking tour of Chinatown anymore.  Meh.  It’s okay, though- we were feeling a little pressed for time, and that deletion gave us room to operate at a more casual pace.  

And by casual pace, I mean we did a two hour loop of listening and learning on the hop-on-hop-off bus.  We just didn’t hop off.  The route it takes is really, really long.  It goes all around what turns out to be a pretty big city, then across the Golden Gate Bridge, then back again and into more of the city.  Whew.  I have to say, if it’s at all chilly out, and you’re on an open-top bus, you may consider stepping to the enclosed portion for the trip across the water.  We were fine, but we’re typically pretty hearty when it comes to chilly air.  

Today’s bus tour also let us see what we want to visit in earnest tomorrow.  We have decided that, after the Exploratorium trip we have booked, we want to head to Chinatown for lunch, then check out Haight-Ashbury and the surrounding neighborhood.  San Francisco is the home of the first Chinatown in America, if the tour info is to be believed.  And no place I know of has a hippie neighborhood so storied and well-developed.  Most of the other stuff- shopping, entertainment district, etc., exist pretty much anywhere.  We believe we’ve singled out the best, most uniquely San Francisco things.  

The last thing we did today was a sunset cruise.  It had to be.  No way we don’t do that with the sun setting behind the Golden Gate Bridge.  The boat that we cruised on reminded us of two others from our summer.  It seemed to be eerily similar to the boat from the architecture tour in Chicago and the one from the Circle Line Cruise in New York.  We stopped off on the way to the pier to have a glass of wine, then we were off on our one and a half hour sunset cruise.  It was great.  We went past Alcatraz and under the Golden Gate Bridge.  It was interesting, as we had been on both of those things at different points in the day, and now, we were sailing near or under them.  Still, very cool.  

After that, we headed to the place where we had the pre-trip glass of wine.  It was called the Chowder Hut and having not made dinner plans just yet, we took them up on their signature dish.  Not sure how to San Francisco any harder than to eat two different kinds of chowder out of bowls made of sourdough bread.  It was pretty amazing.  

As for now, we’re in for the evening.  It’s been a pretty full day, and we have big plans for tomorrow.  

Here are our photos again- see you soon! 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/pvpQGq1HUr8hBmKa7

Time is on our side

First of all, if you are going to be a tourist, you should dive into the deep end of being a tourist.  There is a reason that tourism is an industry.  I suspect most interesting, touristy places could use a few dollars these days, anyhow- dollars have probably been scarce for a few years.  The other thing to do- if someone recommends a thing- a restaurant, a site to see- do that.  That person has a memory of the place that has lasted long enough to bother telling you.  It must be worthy.  On a strong recommendation from a family member, we went to a restaurant called Scoma’s for dinner last night.  First, to get there, we walked up a street called Al Scoma Way.  They named a street after the restaurant guy- must be pretty special.  The walls were lined with autographed photos of celebrities and the waiters all wore white jackets.  It was amazing food, and when you walk out the door, you see a second building that they use just for receiving the fish they serve.  I get it- right on the water like that, you’d have to try hard not to serve spectacular seafood.  

Here we are, on Al Scoma Way:

From there, we walked along the water for a while, then turned toward our hotel.  It was a big day, and we wanted to rest up for today.  The other thing is, we have no idea what time it really is.  We flew from the central time zone, across the mountain time zone and into the Pacific one, and last night, the daylight saving time shift occurred- we have no clue if we should be as awake as we are yet, but we’re up and moving.  

Today, we head to prison.  We watched the 1996 movie The Rock before we headed out of town, and today, we will start off by going to Alcatraz.  We have a tour booked, and I have my fingers crossed that an elite ex-military unit won’t hold us hostage to affect change from the government, only to be thwarted by guys like Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage.  Now that I see that written down, it does seem pretty unlikely.  Anyhow, I hope our tour is more informative and less eventful than all of that.  

We follow that with some wandering-around time and a 1pm walking tour of Chinatown.  Certainly, we will have an amazing Chinese lunch.  This evening, we wrap up the day with a sunset cruise.  

Cas was so smart when he chose a hotel, too.  He picked something smack in the middle of all things tourist.  We’re a block from the cable car, a few blocks from the water and just around the corner from the place where we find our hop-on-hop-off bus tour.  We’re doing that instead of renting a car or taking an Uber or something like that, and we got a two-day pass before we left the house.  

We’re just getting going, now- with a few moments built in for a bite to eat.  I suspect it’s a bad idea to go to Alcatraz on an empty stomach.  I haven’t heard good things about prison food.